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Field service supervisor vs service manager

The differences between field service supervisors and service managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a field service supervisor and a service manager. Additionally, a service manager has an average salary of $74,009, which is higher than the $53,079 average annual salary of a field service supervisor.

The top three skills for a field service supervisor include customer service, customer satisfaction and safety procedures. The most important skills for a service manager are POS, performance reviews, and cash handling.

Field service supervisor vs service manager overview

Field Service SupervisorService Manager
Yearly salary$53,079$74,009
Hourly rate$25.52$35.58
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs74,106341,785
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4744
Years of experience66

What does a field service supervisor do?

A field service supervisor is an individual who supervises a team of field service staff that perform routine services on sites such as installation, maintenance, and repair. This supervisor is required to delegate work assignments to the field service staff and support them in providing excellent client service. The supervisor must manage all the queries of customers while coordinating with the relevant departments to resolve issues related to field services. This supervisor must also prepare annual budgets as well as manage expenses within the allotted budget.

What does a service manager do?

Service managers are employees who oversee the departments related to providing services to customers. They ensure that service delivery agreements are met by employees in the department. Service managers meet with stakeholders to set service delivery metrics and department goals. They then create strategies to reach these metrics and goals. They are responsible for cascading such goals and metrics to their employees and ensuring that the employees understand what they need to do. Service managers should have a deep understanding and appreciation of the company and its business so that they can create strategies that are in line with the company's identity. They should also be familiar with the customer profiles of the company. Service managers are also responsible for creating department reports and sharing these with stakeholders.

Field service supervisor vs service manager salary

Field service supervisors and service managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field Service SupervisorService Manager
Average salary$53,079$74,009
Salary rangeBetween $34,000 And $82,000Between $47,000 And $116,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonNew York
Best paying companyWEC Energy GroupLatham & Watkins
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between field service supervisor and service manager education

There are a few differences between a field service supervisor and a service manager in terms of educational background:

Field Service SupervisorService Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - BakersfieldUniversity of Pennsylvania

Field service supervisor vs service manager demographics

Here are the differences between field service supervisors' and service managers' demographics:

Field Service SupervisorService Manager
Average age4744
Gender ratioMale, 88.3% Female, 11.7%Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.2% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage8%10%

Differences between field service supervisor and service manager duties and responsibilities

Field service supervisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage services and supports for intellectually and developmentally disable individuals, within compliance with all Medicaid and I/DD waiver regulations.
  • Comply at all times with FAA, TSA, and U.S. Customs guidelines and regulations.
  • Satellite head end and RF distribution system design.
  • Perform break/fix repair on printers, servers and workstations.
  • Complete reports to the FAA anytime there are an incident involving an aircraft.
  • Coordinate route for field service technician on daily repairs of HVAC equipment as well as routine maintenance schedules.
  • Show more

Service manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage compliance with all safety requirements to meet OSHA regulations.
  • Manage a staff of eight employees and maintain oversight of all departments and staff.
  • Utilize ADP software to prepare contract estimates, manage client and vehicle records, and time management.
  • Lead and consult in several projects which lead to the justification and approval of new ERP platform implementation.
  • Supervise employees and operations as well as coordinating third party vendors, manage logistics, operate and maintain all equipment.
  • Coordinate with training department to achieve and maintain the necessary skills within the region to achieve operating goals and KPIs.
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Field service supervisor vs service manager skills

Common field service supervisor skills
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • OSHA, 4%
  • HVAC, 3%
  • Government Regulations, 3%
Common service manager skills
  • POS, 12%
  • Performance Reviews, 8%
  • Cash Handling, 8%
  • Food Handling, 7%
  • Cleanliness, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%

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